Screen.



FRANK T. WILSON, F STILLWATER, MINNESQTA.

SCREEN.

nosaeii.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. it), 12ft.

Application filed August 2, 1912. Ser'i'al No. 712,901.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK T. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stillwater, in the county of "Washington and State of Minnesota, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Screens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a screen to be used in connection with picture projection and particularly such a use in schools.

It is the object of my invention to provide a screen frame which can readily be taken apart and the parts thereof packed in small space, which shall be thoroughly rigid when assembled and yet readily adjustable to meet the conditions of school practice and to be capable of transference from one school room to anotherand over and among the desks thereof, as may be desired. I construct this frame so that the main cross brace thereof shall be also a packing box for re-, ceiving all of the parts of the screen frame and also the curtain for convenience in transportation.

The full objects and advantages of my invention-will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form, Figure 1 is a side elevation and'Fig. 2 an end elevation of a screen embodying the principlesof my invention. Fig. 3 is a top view ofthe box forming the main cross brace of my screen. Figs. 1 and 5 are fragmentary sectional details.

Standards 10 and 11 are provided which are tubular and are seated at the lower end in sockets 12 formed at the center'of cross bar bases 13, said bases being provided with casters 14. The standards 11 are thus readily removable from the base 13 and may either seat highly within the sockets 12 or be screwed therein, as may be desired, but preferably will seat in said sockets and are held so that when the standards 10 and 11 are properly assembled in the completed screen the bases 13 for each standard will be in parallel relation. The standards 10 and 11 are tubular and are rigidly held in parallel relation for being passed through apertures in two plates 15 and 16 of a box-like cross bar member 17. As best shown in Fig. 5, the box 17 is of such size that the plates 15 and 16 are spaced apart a material distance so that said plates engage the standards 10 and 11 at separate points on said standards. The ends 18 of the box 17 each have at the center thereof a handscrew 19 threaded into a suitable casting or member 12, the end of said handscrew engaging the standards 10 and 11. When, therefore, the members 10 and 11 are passed through the plates 15 and 16 and the handscrews 19 are turned so as to firmly engage the ends thereof with the sides of the standards 10 and 11, said standards will be firmly clamped to the plates 15 and 16, and'by reason of the stiff and unyielding character of the box 17 operating as a cross brace, the standards 10 and 11 will be rigidly-held in parallel relation forming a lower art of the screen frame which is in a hig degree rigid and stable. lat-the same time the position of the box cross bar 17 on the standards 10 and 11 may be adjusted as desired to permit the screen to be moved upon casters 14: over desks, tables or other obstructions to the desired point in the room and then to be dropped to a point at which it is desired to have the lower edge of the curtain when the screen is in use. Owing to the great stiffness and rigidity of the box cross bar 17 and the clamping ac tion of the separated plates 15 and 16 and the handscrew 19 the standards 10 and 11 will be securely and rigidly held even when the box cross bar 17 is dropped to its lowest possible position.

Within the tubular standards 10 and 11 are slidably mounted extension standards 21 and 22. Said standards 21 and 22 are secured together at the top by means of a rod 23 having on the ends thereof. shoulders 24 which engage the inner side of the standards 21 and 22, nuts 25 outside of said standards securely binding the same to the shoulders 24. The standards 21 and 22 are I provided with seats 26 for the fixture ends of a curtain 27, and these fixture ends are assembled within the seats thereof in the standards 21 and 22 before the ends 25 are screwed up. The standards 21 and 22 are 'adjustably held by means of handscrews 28.

It will thus be seen that while my screen frame is adjustable to a very large extent and entirely collapsible it is at the same time rigid and stable to a high degree. It will be understood that the screen used in picture projection is necessarily of considerable extent, the larger the screen possible the better the effects of such picture projection will be.

When such a screen is employed in a school building it will not be practicable or desirable to provide a separate screen for each room and therefore the screen will need to bemoved from room to room, and it is one of the peculiarly advantageous features of my screen holder that it is well adapted to such transference. The box cross bar 17 can be raised on the standards 10 and 11 so that the screen may be passed over the childrens desks, thebase 13 traveling down diiferent aisles within the school room. Also, the tubular standards 21 and-22 may be dropped within the standards 10 and 11 sufiiciently to permit the screen to pass throughv a doorway. When the-' screen reaches the point where it is desired to display the pictures, the box cross bar 17 may be dropped as far down as is desired and the standards 21 and 22 be raised to bring the top of the curtain 27 to a point near the ceiling of the room. At the same time, the structureof the screen frame is such that it will always be rigidly held when in final position notwithstanding the ease with which the aforesaid adjustment can be made.

The box cross bar 17 is provided with a cover 29 hinged at 30 to one of the sides of said cross bar and secured by means of a book 31 or other securing means in closed position. For shipment ,or storage, all of the parts of the frame disassembled, and the curtain 27, may be packed in the said box which will always be conveniently accessible for that purpose.

I claim:

1. A screen comprising a pair of tubular standards, a box cross bar having top and bottom plates at the ends thereof through apertures in which said tubular members extend, handscrews in the ends of said box engaging the tubular members and adjustab y clamping the same to said plates, a second set of standards adjustably secured within the tubular members and being provided with inwardly opening sockets, a

. roller and screen thereon, said roller having the fixtures thereof seated in said sockets, and a rod holding said last named member in fixed position to retain the said fixtures in the sockets.

2. In a screen, side standards and castered bases to which said standards are secured, a box cross bar having top and bottom plates at the ends thereof formed withapertures through which the standards extend, and handscrews in the ends of said box for clamping the standards to the plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK 1*. WILSON. Witnesses: Y

H. A. BOWMAN, F. A. WHITELEY. 

